One of the most common types of sports-related injuries is a result of an undesired lateral movement in a foot/ankle (e.g., an inversion or eversion movement—that is, a turning in of the ankle—inversion—and a turning out of an ankle—eversion). According to studies, ankle injuries account for 20% to 40% of all sports—related injuries. With such a common occurrence of injuries in ankles, individuals have turned to various foot and/or ankle supports.
One such type of support is tape—commonly referred to as “athletic tape.” Athletic tape can be either wrapped around a bare ankle (sometimes a protective covering is put on the bare ankle) or around a shoe after placement of the shoe on the foot—a concept commonly referred to in athletics as a “spatting” of the shoe with tape. Various configurations of tape wrapping exist. For example, the athletic tape can be criss-crossed between the back of the foot and top and bottom parts of the foot.
Other types of supports include braces that are coupled to a foot. Many types of these braces include stirrup supports placed on the outside of the ankle or canvass-type materials, which are laced onto a foot.
Yet other types of supports include hard shells or boots that are designed to completely isolate movement of the foot. Such devices include ski boots and roller blades.
With a large majority of activities, certain movements of the foot are desirable, namely a dorsiflexion movement in the foot and a plantar flexion movement in the foot—that is, an upward movement of the foot (dorsiflexion) and a bending of the foot toward the plantar surface or sole of the foot (plantar flexion). However, the above supports do not necessarily facilitate such movements. For example, the hard shells are designed to prevent such movements; and, research studies suggest that braces and tape can inhibit such movements.
An additional concern of any support is the ability to maintain its support characteristics throughout an activity. Research studies suggest that the support created by athletic tape and braces decreases after commencement of the activity. As a result, these studies suggest that an individual should readjust the athletic tape and braces from time to time, during the activity, to maintain a desired support.
The most common of the above supports tapes is athletic tape. However, due to the inherent nature of athletic tape, time is required to wrap the tape around a foot/ankle before the activity and remove the tape after the activity. Additionally, care must be taken to ensure that the correct wrapping techniques is utilized, that the correct amount of support is placed on the foot/ankle, and that the tape is not too tight—thereby restricting blood flow in the foot/ankle and/or making the taping support uncomfortable. Furthermore, as a result of such care/time constraints, the number of athletes that can be wrapped within a certain time period before an event is limited—thereby making some athletes go without ankle/foot taping. Additionally, the removal of the athletic tape (e.g., on bare ankles) after a performance is generally an uncomfortable processes. Furthermore, athletic tape is generally not a reusable material—thereby making taping a costly and non-environmentally friendly option.
When tape is spat over the outermost part of the shoe, several other undesirable features can occur. Athletic tape on the bottom of the shoe can interfere with the naturally intended performance of the shoe. For example, when wrapped around football shoes, it can cover the cleats of the shoe, thereby potentially interfering with the traction of the shoe—hence, inhibiting the player's performance. Additionally, athletic tape on the side of the shoes can cover designs and logos—something highly undesirable by some shoe manufacturers.